菩薩從兜術天降神母胎說廣普經

Chapter Twenty-Six:

Destroying Wrong Views

At that time, the Blessed One entered the samadhi of Right Concentration, manifested transformation bodies, and emitted a great radiance, wishing to enable the great bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly—bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, upasakas, and upasikas—to shatter Mara’s realm and abide upon the right ground.

He taught the assembly:

“I recall that ninety-one kalpas ago, I practiced austerities in the mountains together with a revered teacher and five thousand people, south of the Snow Mountains and north of the City of Purity. I was the youngest disciple among them. I became thoroughly accomplished in reciting scriptures, mathematics, technical arts, astronomy, and geography. According to their customary rule, when a disciple had completed his studies, he should repay his teacher’s kindness.

“At that time, I was entirely alone and had neither money nor precious objects to offer my teacher. I therefore knelt and bowed, asking permission to descend the mountain and enter the villages to seek alms. My teacher did not permit me. I entreated him three times in this way, but he still refused. Why? Because my understanding of the foremost scriptures was the clearest among the entire assembly. My teacher said to me:

“‘I possess a precious secret treasury of scriptures. Without having recited them, why would you leave me and enter the human world to seek alms?’

“He then gave me a scripture in which every sentence contained five hundred characters and told me to memorize it. In fewer than several days, I had learned it by heart and said before my teacher:

“‘Teacher, please permit me to descend the mountain and seek alms so that I may repay your kindness.’

“My teacher still refused and said to me:

“‘You should study the secret prophetic writings concerning the sun, moon, stars, calamities, apparitions, misfortune and blessings, the shaking of mountains, and the trembling of the earth. You do not yet understand these things, so why do you wish to leave me and enter the human world to seek alms?’

“He then gave me another scripture in which each sentence consisted of one thousand characters and told me to memorize it. In fewer than several days, I mastered it and asked my teacher for permission to seek alms so that I might repay his kindness. My teacher again refused, saying:

“‘I have a scripture in which each sentence consists of ten thousand characters. You have not yet recited the precious teachings contained in it, so for what reason do you wish to leave me and seek alms?’

“My teacher then gave me that scripture and instructed me to recite and memorize it. In fewer than several days, I had thoroughly mastered the technical arts, calamities, movements of the stars, and all the rest. At that time, my teacher urged me to remain, but he had no more scriptures to give me to study.

“I then took leave of my teacher, descended the mountain, and entered the villages to seek alms. In a large village, I saw five thousand Brahman adherents of heterodox teachings performing a sacrifice to heaven together.

“According to the rite of sacrificing to heaven, they had to kill five hundred cattle, five hundred goats, five hundred camels, five hundred horses, the strongest six-tusked elephant, and five hundred women. They also had to offer a golden staff, a golden washbasin, one thousand bolts of white cloth, fifty thousand pieces of gold and silver, and fifty thousand coins. After these precious things had been offered to heaven, they would be given to the teacher.

“At that time, I had descended the mountain wearing soiled and dusty clothing. Because I had practiced austerities in the mountains for many years, I wore a deerskin garment. When I heard that five thousand Brahman adherents of heterodox teachings had established a great sacrificial altar, I immediately went there. Their chief teacher then asked me about my learning:

“‘Those who know many scriptures and technical arts are seated above, while those who know few are seated below.’

“That teacher knew nothing and had no mastery of the secret essentials of prophetic lore, so I was seated above him. But he became angry and said:

“‘What sort of person is this? All these precious treasures and various objects should have belonged to me. Why have they been usurped by this man? If we meet in a future life, I will certainly take revenge, just as he has usurped what was mine today.’

“At that time, I said:

“‘Inverted wrong views are not true. When clearly discerned, only the unconditioned may be called nirvana. In it there is no birth, aging, illness, or death; neither this shore, the other shore, nor the region between. Contemplating its intrinsic characteristic, one sees that it is pure. There are the four fearlessnesses. By performing meritorious deeds, one is born in heaven; through transgression, one falls into hell; through stinginess and greed, one becomes a hungry ghost; and through indebtedness, one becomes an animal. The results of good and evil follow one just as a shadow follows its form.’

“At that time, the minds of five hundred people were awakened and illuminated, and they immediately invited me to become their teacher. I did not kill the elephants, horses, cattle, goats, camels, and other animals that were about to be slaughtered. As for the golden staff and golden washbasin, which I was supposed to receive, I gave them to the angry senior teacher. The five hundred women were sent back to the master of the sacrifice. Of the fifty thousand gold coins, I took only five hundred. Of the fifty thousand copper coins, I likewise accepted only five hundred, returning the remainder to the master of the sacrifice.

“I traveled from village to village and from country to country, gradually arriving outside the eastern gate of the City of Clear Light. There I saw five hundred Brahmans advanced in years and great in virtue, who, in their daily practice of the Way, stood beneath the scorching sun until their bodies became ugly and filthy. I immediately took the five hundred gold coins and gave one to each of them, then bade them farewell and entered the city. I saw the people in the city sprinkling fragrant water upon the ground to remove dust and impurities, hanging banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies, and forming orderly lines with dignified bearing, preparing to go outside the city.

“After walking a little farther, I saw a young woman holding seven flowers. At that time, I looked all around for incense and flowers but found none. I asked the young woman:

“‘I would like the flowers in your hands.’

“She replied:

“‘These flowers already have a recipient. The Buddha is about to enter the city, and I intend to offer them to him.’

“Unable to obtain them, I, the bodhisattva, again used skillful means and said to the young woman:

“‘I have five hundred precious coins. I will buy each flower for one hundred coins. If that is acceptable, please sell them to me.’

“I then brought out the money. Coveting the treasure, she gave me five flowers. After walking about ten paces, she thought to herself, ‘This man has dignified and handsome features, yet he wears a deerskin garment. Because he desired my five flowers, he did not begrudge his money. There must certainly be a reason for this.’

“She then turned back and called out:

“‘Sir! What will you do with those flowers?’

“I replied:

“‘I will offer them to the Buddha.’

“Upon hearing the name ‘Buddha,’ she immediately gave me the remaining two flowers. I went outside the city and saw the Buddha in the distance. Devas and people packed the entire road, leaving no open space on which to bow in homage. Before the Buddha was a puddle large enough for one person to stand in. I immediately spread my hair over that puddle and praised the Buddha in verse:

“‘You have shattered attachment, pride, and arrogance,

And extinguished desire, anger, and delusion.

Your true marks shine foremost of all;

May the Buddha know what lies within my heart.

The ancient vow for which I have sought fulfillment—

Today I have beheld the Buddha.

I now scatter these five flowers,

Vowing to attain non-retrogression.

The remaining two flowers

The young woman entrusts as offerings to the Buddha.

O unsurpassed Great Teacher of the Way,

Have compassion and tread upon my hair.’

“At that time, Tathagata Radiant Light saw that I had aroused a pure mind and made a vast vow that nothing could obstruct or destroy. He then praised me in verse:

“‘The youth has aroused the great aspiration;

In the wilderness, he will save myriad beings.

A great vow does not arise by itself;

He has planted many roots of merit.

After passing through innumerable kalpas,

In an age of the five turbidities and five defilements,

He will attain Buddhahood and liberate sentient beings,

Bearing the name Shakyamuni.

With thirty-two radiant marks,

He will be the Wondrous One among humankind.

When wisdom and longevity are perfected and he is called Buddha,

The earth will quake in six ways.

Devas and people of the world,

Seeing me receive this prediction,

Will always wish to extinguish all the defilements

And will all vow to be born in my realm.’”

At that time, Light Tathagata stepped upon My hair and passed over. Through spiritual power, the Buddha accepted My five flower branches and placed My body in empty space. The Buddha placed the remaining two flower branches upon His two shoulders. Long ago, in the course of cultivation, I destroyed all the implements used by five thousand brahmacarins in their sacrifices to heaven and worship of fire, teaching them to practice right view and the eight practices of equality. Whether sitting, lying down, or walking in meditation, with every step I benefited, liberated, and delivered sentient beings. From that time until now, I have never fallen into the three evil paths, the eight difficulties, worldly cleverness and eloquence, a borderland, or a time after a Buddha.

At that time, among those seated there, beings of the realm of Mara regarded permanence as annihilation, called suffering happiness, regarded impermanence as permanence, and, where there was no self, declared that there was a self. They cultivated the four inverted views, lacked the wisdom to discern clearly, were obscured by the five hindrances, and clung to gain and support.

Wishing to liberate these people of wrong views, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

– Wrong views—the path is not true,

Like the Thiết Thôi insect,

Boring through bone into marrow and brain,

Causing pains beyond all count.

Gain and support destroy moral virtue;

The wise do not act in this way.

Their bodily conduct and minds are steadfast,

Purely eliminating the dharma of ignorance.

When the Blessed One taught these people of wrong views the true Dharma concerning the meanings of phrases, meanings, and words, countless hundreds of thousands of sentient beings aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, right, and true enlightenment.

Chapter 27: Manjushri’s Bodily Transformations

At that time, the Blessed One, the Unattached One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, entered the samadhi called the Concentration of the Most Honored One and contemplated how many or how few kalpas the great bodhisattvas of the past, future, and present would pass through—from one kalpa or two kalpas up to hundreds of thousands of countless kotis of kalpas—before attaining parinirvana.

Some great bodhisattvas made offerings to the Buddhas, perfected merit, taught and transformed sentient beings, and purified Buddha lands.

Some great bodhisattvas, from the time of their youthful purity, practiced the eight abodes. They had neither wives nor children, extinguished thoughts of sexual desire, dwelt freely in their own stage, and, without parents or siblings, attained unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

The Buddha said to Manjushri:

– Seventy-nine kalpas ago, in the Flower Light World, you taught the Dharma while in the womb, your whole body being a relic-body. The people of that realm were one thousand yojanas tall, while the Buddha’s body was ten thousand yojanas tall. To the east, west, south, and north, in the four intermediate directions, above and below, its extent was immeasurable and boundless, beyond all calculation. Even if teachers and disciples alike attempted to calculate it, they could never fathom it. Its fundamental nature was pure, and originally you dwelt there. The Buddha’s body emitted light and manifested spiritual powers so that the entire assembly could behold the Tathagata benefiting sentient beings.

Then the Blessed One spoke this verse:

– Manjushri originally attained Buddhahood;

Within the womb he manifested transformations.

His body was ten thousand yojanas tall,

Its marks radiant and resplendent.

His eyes were like blue lotus blossoms;

His lips and mouth were red as blazing fire.

His forty teeth were white and even;

His eyes blinked, looking upward and downward.

Devas, dragons, ghosts, and spirits

Brought incense and flowers, made offerings, and bowed.

Now, within this womb,

Compared with your realm,

Even one part in sixteen

Does not equal a single hair.

The Tathagata’s virtue of transformation

Penetrates all things without obstruction.

The fragrance of keeping the precepts spreads afar;

All Buddhas praise it.

The great assemblies have come here,

Wishing to ask about this rare Dharma.

They bow their heads before You

To remove the net of doubt.

At that time, while still seated upon his seat, the great bodhisattva Manjushri, through the spiritual power of meditative concentration, as swiftly as a strong man bends or extends his arm, brought the Flower Light World into the womb of Shakyamuni’s mother in the Saha world.

The worlds of the two Buddhas did not obstruct each other. Each Buddha still fully manifested the excellent marks of his body and sat beneath the king of trees, expounding the most profound and supreme Dharma.

The bodhisattvas of that realm also came to draw near to Shakyamuni Buddha, presenting offerings and rendering service with incense, flowers, banners, and jeweled canopies. The bodhisattva disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha likewise went to that realm to make offerings and pay homage.

The sounds of the two Buddhas expounding the subtle and profound Dharma freely interpenetrated without obstruction. When that Buddha taught non-arising, the same was taught here. When I taught concentration of mind, the same was taught there. The bases of spiritual power, right exertions, faculties, powers, factors of enlightenment, and the Path were the same in both places. There they taught suffering, emptiness, and non-self; here it was likewise.

Then Manjushri spoke this verse:

– Contemplate purity within and without;

When conditions cease, perceptions do likewise.

Throughout the Buddha lands of the ten directions,

Spiritual virtue does not differ.

It is solely according to sentient beings’ faculties

That the wondrous and the unwondrous appear.

Though I have attained a Buddha body,

This realm is exceedingly small.

Because the assembly harbors doubts,

I manifest transformations within the womb.

My body is like a mote of dust,

Yet now, in that Buddha land,

The radiant thirty-two marks

Appear everywhere.

Formerly I was another’s teacher;

Now I again become a disciple.

The Buddha’s path is exceedingly vast,

Pure, neither increasing nor diminishing.

If I wish to behold the Buddha bodies,

The two Honored Ones do not stand together.

In this realm I manifest teaching and transformation;

In my realm I manifest a Buddha body.

That realm undergoes the kalpa-conflagration;

My realm is not destroyed.

The Buddha’s power transforms everywhere,

Yet sentient beings’ minds are not the same.

Assembly, hear what I say:

Beyond this place there is also

A Buddha land named Flawless,

Whose Buddha is called Honored Ascended Immortal.

That land is many times greater,

Pure and without stain.

Its cities are made of the seven treasures,

And its ground of crystal and lapis lazuli.

Its ponds of the eight liberations are filled with amrita,

Radiating magnificent light.

That Buddha, Honored Ascended Immortal,

Is no one else.

If anyone in this assembly wishes to know,

He is precisely my own body.

Apart from this, there is yet another

Land named Ultimate,

Whose Buddha is called Great Wisdom.

Its bodhisattvas are immeasurable;

There are none of the Two Vehicles,

Neither pratyekabuddhas nor shravakas.

Its bodhisattva mahasattvas

No longer possess desire, anger, or delusion.

When rotten roots produce no leaves,

How much less could they bear fruit?

Replete with the marks of a great person,

They rescue others first and themselves afterward.

Life is like five flowing rivers;

The five envoys and five bonds,

And the five skandhas, forever groaning,

Revolve through the five paths.

The seven named envoys bind them tightly,

Never leaving the seven places of birth.

The unconditioned Noble Eightfold Path

Eliminates the eight wrong actions.

The eight pure wisdoms contemplate;

First they draw the water of the eight liberations.

The eight abodes and eight entrances of elimination,

And the eight conditioned dharmas of the Path—

The Dharma of suffering has nine divisions;

Sentient beings travel through the six paths.

Perfecting the nine without obstruction,

They adorn the tree of the Buddha’s path.

The Dharma of the Ten Powers and fearlessness—

Clad in the robe of the compassionate vow,

And holding the sword of wisdom in hand,

They clear away the forest of fetters.

The sentient beings of this realm

Cling to existence and become arrogant.

Gravely ill and without a skilled physician,

Their sickness grows ever more severe.

It is like a fire upon a wilderness

Burning all the mountains and forests.

When fierce winds blow upon the lofty mountains,

When will the blazing fire be extinguished?

In our world,

Great Wisdom expounds this clearly,

Just as my present body

Is that of the Great Wisdom Tathagata.

After Manjushri had spoken this verse, immeasurable asamkhyeyas of sentient beings all vowed to be born in the Flower Light Realm.

At that time, Manjushri withdrew his spiritual power and appeared once again as a bodhisattva disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. All the lands returned to their original state.

Chapter 28: The Eightfold Fasting Precepts of the Noble Ones

At that time, in the assembly was a bodhisattva named Accumulated Wisdom, who had cultivated many merits and virtues in the presence of the Buddhas of the past, vanquished the armies of Mara, adorned Buddha lands through skillful means, and practiced patience throughout countless kalpas. His patient mind never declined; he never abandoned the practice of meditation; and in the great assembly he uttered the lion’s roar.

He journeyed alone throughout the three realms, freely ascending and descending at all times. There was nothing he did not thoroughly understand, and his responses were unobstructed. He could transform mountains, rivers, stone walls, and cliffs into the seven treasures and give them to the poor and afflicted, fully providing them with the four necessities.

He clearly understood the contemplation of emptiness and knew that the nature of all dharmas is entirely pure. He clearly knew the three periods of time and was accomplished in proper deportment and observances. He contemplated dharmas as illusions and transformations, as images in a mirror, as mirages, and as echoes in a valley.

All the retinue who followed him had perfected the fundamental faculties and upheld the precepts without transgressing even in the slightest.

The bodhisattva rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

– How wonderful, World-Honored One! There is no place the Tathagata’s teaching and transformation do not reach. Devas, dragons, humans, and spirits have all come to the place of enlightenment. The sentient beings of the realm of space, including those born from wombs and those born through transformation, have been delivered in numbers beyond measure. I beseech the World-Honored One to distinguish the wholesome and unwholesome actions within the six paths, and the proper deportment and precepts that are wholesome in the beginning, wholesome in the middle, and wholesome at the end. Please explain them clearly so that those who do not yet know may come to know.

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Accumulated Wisdom:

– Excellent! Excellent! You have asked the Tathagata about this profound meaning. I shall now distinguish for you the consequences of wholesome and unwholesome conduct regarding the precepts. Listen clearly and reflect upon it well:

Countless kalpas ago, there was a time when I was a garuda king. My palace had seven gates, and the ponds behind its gardens were all fashioned from the seven treasures. Roaming through the gardens, I enjoyed complete freedom of mind. The rules I instituted resembled those of a Wheel-Turning Sage King. The women within the palace resembled celestial maidens. Only after a hundred thousand kalpas would I enter the sea in search of dragons to devour.

At that time, there was a transformation-born dragon in the sea who, on the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of each month, observed the Tathagata’s fasting precepts, comprising eight precepts:

– Not to kill living beings

– Not to steal

– Not to engage in sexual misconduct

– Not to speak falsely or frivolously

– Not to drink intoxicants

– Not to listen to singing or music

– Not to anoint oneself with perfumes, flowers, powders, or cosmetics

– Not to lie upon high or broad beds

– Not to eat at improper times.

The garuda faithfully observed the eight dharmas of the sages.

The garuda was eight thousand yojanas long, and each wing was four thousand yojanas long. The great sea measured three million three hundred and sixty thousand li across in every direction. The garuda used its wings to sweep aside the water and seize dragons. Before the waters could close again, the garuda had already taken a dragon in its beak and flown away.

According to the custom of garudas, when one wished to eat a dragon, it first took the dragon by the tail and carried it to the northern side of Mount Sumeru. There stood a great iron tree one hundred and sixty thousand li tall. The garuda carried the dragon there and prepared to eat it, but after an entire day and night of searching, it could not discover where the dragon’s tail was. The next morning, the dragon extended its tail and said to the garuda:

– I am that very transformation-born dragon. Had I not observed the eight fasting precepts, you would already have devoured me.

Upon hearing this, the garuda felt remorse and reproached itself, saying, “The Buddha’s awe-inspiring spiritual power is profound and difficult to fathom.” It then said:

– My palace is not far from here. Please come with me and enjoy yourself there.

The dragon then followed the garuda to visit its palace.

The garuda said:

– My retinue here has never heard of the eight fasting precepts. I beseech you to teach us the proper deportment and precepts so that, after I die, I may be born as a human being.

At that time, the dragon taught the garuda all the precepts and had it read and recite them. Then, in the palace of the bird king, the dragon spoke this verse:

– A palace made of seven treasures,

Adorned and filled with great delight;

Because observance of precepts was incomplete,

You assumed the body of a garuda.

I am a son of the Dragon King

And cultivated the path for seventy thousand kalpas;

By piercing a leaf with a golden needle,

I broke a precept and assumed a dragon’s body.

I was not born from a womb,

From moisture, or from an egg;

Transformed in body, I shall not regress,

And shall cause the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha to shine.

Now that you have received the eight precepts,

Teach and transform your retinue;

Uphold the precepts without transgression,

And you shall be born in a wholesome realm.

My palace beneath the sea

Is likewise fashioned from the seven treasures:

Mani jewels and crystal,

Moon-bright pearls, gold, and silver.

Come with me to that place

To visit and perform Buddha-work,

Increasing your roots of goodness

And letting compassion permeate everywhere.

After hearing the dragon’s words, the garuda received the eight fasting precepts and declared:

– From this time onward, throughout my entire life, I shall never kill living beings, and I shall teach the garuda retinue as the Buddhas have instructed.

After receiving the Three Refuges, the garuda followed the dragon back to its palace beneath the sea. Within the palace was a stupa made of the seven treasures, containing the treasury of Dharma expounded by the Buddhas. In particular, there was a casket made of the seven treasures filled with Buddhist scriptures, such as the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, the Samadhi of Complete Retention, and others. Seeing this, the dragon princes and dragon maidens offered incense and flowers, bowed in reverence, and rendered service, just as in the golden palace of Danbhamara in the celestial realm. The dragon then said to the garuda:

– I have borne a dragon’s body for kalpas without end, yet I have never killed living beings or disturbed the aquatic creatures.

The dragon then spoke this verse to the garuda:

– Killing is unwholesome karma;

It shortens life and brings untimely death.

The body is like a moth

That sees the light and then perishes.

Uphold the precepts and obey the Buddha,

And one will be born among the Long-Lived Devas.

Cultivate merit and virtue for many kalpas,

And one will not fall into the animal realm.

I now bear the body of a dragon,

Yet my virtue and conduct in the precepts are radiant and pure.

Though fallen among the six kinds of animals,

The day will come when I shall escape.

After the dragon spoke this verse, the minds of the dragon princes and dragon maidens became radiant and their thoughts were opened to understanding. After death, they were all born in the Buddha land of Amitabha.

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Accumulated Wisdom:

– In a former kalpa, I perfected the practice and virtue of the precepts and became a bodhisattva with sovereign mastery of transformation, entering everywhere without obstruction. I also became a garuda, also became a dragon, and at times transformed into a tortoise, a soft-shelled turtle, and other creatures.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Five Pleasures

At that time, the World-Honored One perceived the thoughts within the minds of sentient beings. They wished to know the states through which the Tathagata had formerly passed, such as when he was born as a garuda and was taught and transformed by a dragon. Those who had been delivered were immeasurable and beyond calculation. They also wished to know what other kalpas and lives there had been.

Knowing the thoughts of sentient beings, the Tathagata wished to reveal the practices of body, speech, and mind that he had cultivated in the past:

– Good men and good women, listen as I speak. Long ago, there was a celestial Lord Shakra who, throughout countless kalpas from the past until then, had always naturally enjoyed celestial blessings and was foremost in honor among all the Lords Shakra throughout the three-thousandfold great-thousand world-system. At that time, Rahu, king of the asuras, had a beautiful daughter endowed with every maidenly virtue. She possessed sixty-four talents, and in walking, standing, coming, and going, she never departed from proper deportment. Her face resembled a peach blossom; her mouth emitted a fragrance like that of an utpala lotus; and her body bore the fragrance of ox-head sandalwood. She was neither tall nor short, neither dark nor fair, neither stout nor thin, and was endowed with all the qualities of a woman.

At that time, Shakra Devanam Indra thought, “The celestial maidens in my palace are more beautiful than other celestial maidens, yet they cannot compare with the daughter of that asura. I shall now assemble my army and wage war against them, forcing them to surrender that maiden to me.”

Having reflected thus, Shakra invited the devas to deliberate upon going into battle. The devas said to Shakra:

– If the devas engage them in battle, we will surely be defeated. Let us choose those skilled in music, with a ninety-nine-stringed beryl lute and a boat, to sing praises of how we devas enjoy bliss endowed with immeasurable merit.

The devas acclaimed this as an excellent plan and acted accordingly.

Shakra immediately commanded Bàn Giá Dực to take up celestial music and fully prepare the musical instruments. He then suddenly vanished from the heavenly realm and, as swiftly as a strong man might extend his arm, appeared standing before King Bà Ha of the asuras. He played the lute and proclaimed in verse:

– I serve the deva Shakra,

A master of the wondrous lute.

The melodies are gentle and harmonious,

Their limpid tones exceedingly fine,

Bringing joy to those devas,

Who no longer conceive of sorrow or fear.

Think of clothing and food, and they appear at once:

Ambrosial fare and the seven treasures,

Beds of gold and silver, jeweled boats;

Bodies move and turn about,

Beholding pleasures without ever tiring,

The most honored among the devas.

Now he has sent us here,

Wishing to speak of impure conduct,

And offer ambrosial food,

For he seeks a marriage alliance.

Our lord possesses palaces

And jewels beyond measure;

Celestial maidens form his retinue,

Numbering more than a thousand myriads of kotis.

Knowing that Bà Ha has a daughter,

Give her to our lord.

But if you do not consent,

Then the time has come for battle.

Hearing these words, the asura

Blazed fiercely with anger:

“Though a paltry creature, your ambitions are great!

What, then, do you intend to do?

Although we possess no ambrosia,

Our provisions are sufficient.

We also have mighty armies,

Fully able to withstand you.”

Hearing this, Bàn Giá Dực returned and reported everything to the Celestial Lord Shakra. King Bà Ha of the asuras then immediately commanded:

– Assemble all the troops! I have a campaign to wage. Make every preparation at once, and let no one harbor any doubt!

He further commanded them in verse:

– The noble Celestial Lord Shakra

Sent his envoy Bàn Giá Dực,

Who sang praises in melodious speech,

Seeking a marriage alliance with me.

Our forces have not yet assembled;

We should muster our troops first.

We shall attack without expending our strength,

Defeating ten thousand without losing one.

Hearing this, the guardian spirits of the asuras immediately assembled their troops and advanced to the slopes of Mount Sumeru. They broke through the base of the celestial palace, then destroyed the Palace of the Wind Devas, the Palace of the Horse Devas, and the Palace of the Adorned Devas.

At that time, a deva named Great Strength came and said to Shakra Devendra:

– Great King, you should know that Bà Ha and his asura forces have assembled their troops and broken through the four gates of heaven. Great King, what should now be done?

The Celestial Lord Shakra then recalled a verse from long ago and proclaimed:

– May the awe-inspiring spiritual power of the Buddhas

Rescue and protect me from peril.

Patience and wisdom destroy anger;

Liberation is the place of peace and security.

Formerly I remained awake without rest,

Yet this evening I suddenly grew drowsy.

This omen is inauspicious:

The asuras will seize my realm.

Because the Celestial Lord Shakra recollected the Buddha’s merit, the asura forces gradually withdrew through the four gates behind the garden, entered a pond, and hid within the lotus stalks.

Shakra Devendra then commanded his chief ministers:

– Quickly assemble the troops and pursue the forces of the asuras!

Receiving the Celestial King’s command, Shakra’s chief ministers immediately assembled the hosts of devas and searched through the four gates. They saw only armor, bows, and arrows lying upon the ground, but none of the asuras. Advancing farther, they reached the asura palace, where they saw thousands of myriads of women belonging to Bà Ha’s asura host, but not a single asura man.

They took all the women back to the Trayastrimsha Heaven. Seeing this, the asuras came to seek refuge and said to Shakra Devendra:

– We were foolish and deluded, not knowing that the spiritual power of the Buddha’s disciples was so sublime. Formerly, our ancestors faithfully revered the Tathagata and heard that the Buddha established a precept against taking what is not given. Now the Celestial King Shakra has taken our entire retinue back to the heavenly palace. This is truly not the Dharma practiced by the Buddha’s disciples.

Hearing them speak thus, the Celestial Lord Shakra became deeply grieved and displeased. He thought, “What the asuras have said shows that I have violated the precept against taking what is not given. I should reverently uphold the precepts and refrain from committing theft.” He therefore immediately allowed the asura women to return.

The asura then presented the daughter whom he cherished and honored above all others to the Celestial Lord Shakra. The Celestial Lord Shakra offered the asuras sweet and delicious ambrosia. The asuras and Shakra lived together in harmony and cultivated wholesome practices: abstaining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and intoxicants; refraining from wearing perfumes, flowers, powders, or cosmetics; refraining from eating at improper times; and upholding the Tathagata’s Three Refuges.

Throughout innumerable past lives and the karmic deeds performed therein, I became a Wheel-Turning Sage King for innumerable lives, the Celestial Lord Shakra for innumerable lives, and King of the Brahma Heaven for innumerable lives. I reverently upheld the eight fasting precepts of the noble sages, delivered beings from suffering and hardship, and rescued them from calamity and danger. Suppose that the four continents were engulfed in flames like the conflagration at the end of a kalpa: anyone who single-mindedly takes refuge, invokes the name of the Tathagata, and upholds the eight fasting precepts may fall bodily into the flames yet will not be burned. If submerged in water, the water will not be able to drown that person. The eight fasting precepts are the parents of all Buddhas.

Chapter Thirty: Khẩn Đà La

At that time, within the assembly was the bodhisattva Faith and Liberation, who, throughout innumerable asamkhyeya kalpas in the past, had been a king of the kinnaras.

North of Mount Sumeru lies Mount Beryl. North of Mount Beryl lies the Lesser Iron Encircling Mountain. North of the Lesser Iron Encircling Mountain lies Mount Great Black.

The king of the kinnaras ruled over this mountain. Although Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges had appeared in the past, he neither saw them nor heard the Dharma; nor was he taught and transformed by the Sangha. The light of the sun, moon, and stars did not shine there.

Because he had formerly created the merit of one act of giving, he came to dwell in a palace made of the seven treasures and enjoyed a very long life. Why was this? While living in the human realm, he encountered a field of merit: a householder was building a stupa for the Buddha, and this king Khẩn Đà La offered a pillar for its construction.

He also gave pure food to the builders. After his death, he became the spirit-king Hung Ức, dwelling between two mountains in palaces and residences made of the seven treasures.

While still living in the human realm, he possessed immeasurable wealth. One morning, a shramana carrying his alms bowl came to his house to beg for food. Seeing the shramana standing outside the gate, his wife brought rice and offered it to him. When the householder saw his wife giving food to the shramana, he became enraged and shouted:

– Who is this beggar who dares cast covetous glances at my wife?! Break both his hands and feet!

For this reason, after his death he received an ugly body. For forty-eight kalpas, he continually had neither hands nor feet.

Moreover, when I was in the human realm, I studied the teachings of the immortals deep in the mountains and practiced reciting spells. I could move the sun and moon, change night into day and day into night. Within the span of a breath, I could produce gold, silver, and the seven treasures; cause withered trees to grow branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit; cause the waters of the sea to dry up; dwell amid blazing fire; and fly through the air.

My eyes could see with penetrating clarity; I knew my former lives and the thoughts of others; and my ears could hear across great distances. I had five hundred disciples and followers. When we heard that a Buddha had appeared in the world named Tathagata Pure Light, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the One Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed One, the Tamer of Men, the Teacher of Devas and Humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One, who expounded the wondrous Dharma, good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, I led my disciples out of the deep mountains.

We flew over a bathing pool behind the royal palace garden. Seeing the palace women bathing in the pool, we looked down and gave rise to thoughts of lustful attachment. Consequently, my disciples and I all lost our supernatural powers and fell into the garden.

At that time, I became angry, thinking that it was because I had gone in search of the Buddha that I had lost my supernatural powers.

Seeing five hundred men in the garden, the palace women ran inside and informed the king. The king ordered his attendants to bring them in for questioning. When they arrived, the king asked:

– Who are you?

They replied:

– We are practitioners who study the way of the immortals upon the mountain. In the mountains, we practiced reciting spells and could move the sun and moon, change night into day and day into night, and so forth, even to the ability to hear sounds from very great distances. My five hundred disciples and followers heard that a Buddha named Pure Light had appeared in the world. I led my disciples out of the deep mountains and flew over the bathing pool behind the king’s palace. Upon seeing the palace women, we gave rise to thoughts of lustful attachment; therefore, we all lost our supernatural powers and were compelled to remain in the garden.

The king then asked:

– How long have you studied the way of the immortals deep in the mountains?

They replied:

– For twenty-two minor kalpas.

The king asked again:

– Throughout so many kalpas of practicing the Way, your minds were as if dead, neither wavering nor moving. Why did thoughts of desire still arise, causing you to lose your supernatural powers?

They replied:

– We originally believed that the true Way consisted foremost in spiritual powers, whereby we could rise or descend entirely at will. We never expected that today we would suddenly lose the Way. We are truly ashamed before the noble king! Let the noble king punish us as he sees fit.

The king said:

– You have studied the Way for twenty-two minor kalpas, your bodies withered and your minds exhausted, yet your practice has not been right. You are like foolish people searching for treasure in empty space. You have failed to realize the true characteristic of the Dharma’s ultimate reality. The teacher you seek is the Tathagata, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who is near Mount Nhạc Trĩ. I shall take you to the Buddha. Whatever instruction the Buddha gives, you should reverently accept and practice accordingly.

The great king then prepared the full fivefold ceremonial escort and led his retinue and the five hundred practitioners of the immortals’ way to Mount Nhạc Trĩ. The king descended from his carriage, removed his sword, took off his crown, dismissed the fivefold ceremonial escort, and walked to where the Buddha was. He bowed his head and face at the Buddha’s feet and sat to one side. The king then came before the Buddha and said:

– Blessed One! These five hundred people have studied the way of the immortals upon the mountain for twenty-two minor kalpas. Hearing that a Buddha had appeared in the world, they wished to come and behold him. While flying behind the palace, they became attached to sensual desire and consequently lost their supernatural powers. I beseech the Blessed One to expound the wondrous Dharma so that they may regain the five kinds of supernatural powers.

The Buddha told the great king:

– These five hundred people have cultivated roots of goodness, but as soon as those roots mature, they are ruined; thus, they never attain the ultimate goal. Formerly, when they were householders, they saw a bhiksu begging for alms and angrily cursed him, saying, “May you have neither hands nor feet.” For innumerable kalpas thereafter, they became spirit-kings with chests like great peaks, dwelling between the two Great Iron Encircling Mountains and the Black Mountain, undergoing the karmic retribution of being without the light of the sun and moon. Before that, while still in the human realm, they gave pillars to others; and because of the merit of once making an offering to a pratyekabuddha, they later became human practitioners of the immortals’ way in the mountains. Because their minds blazed with desire, they lost their supernatural powers. This causal condition has existed for a long time and did not arise only today. After these five hundred people pass away, they will all be born in the Buddha-land Free from Anger. That Buddha will teach them about birth, aging, sickness, and death; the twelve links of dependent origination; suffering as having no root of suffering; and likewise the fruits of arising, cessation, and the path.

After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, the king’s mind became radiant, and he too wished to be born in the Buddha-land Free from Anger.

The king and the five hundred immortals then rose, bowed to the Buddha, and withdrew.

Chapter 31: The Deity of Fragrant Sound

Knowing the thoughts in the minds of the assembly, the Blessed One entered the samadhi called Formless Mental Concentration and, following the sounds of sentient beings, went to deliver them.

– Formerly, in the human realm, I was a spirit-king of Fragrant Sound, presiding over one Jambudvipa, two Jambudvipas, and so forth, up to Jambudvipas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. My male and female followers took fragrances as food. Their garments and adornments were all perfumed with incense. Whether born in Uttarakuru in the north, Godaniya, or Purvavideha, wherever I was born, I became a spirit-king of Fragrant Sound and lived for one kalpa, two kalpas, three kalpas, and so forth, up to innumerable asamkhya kalpas. I knew that there was a Buddha, that there was the Dharma, and that there was a Sangha of bhiksus, yet my mind always remained distant and detached, without any desire to approach them. Why? Because I was attached to the five desires and took delight in fragrances. Amid those fragrances, I heard no other sounds, but only songs celebrating the pleasures of the five desires; throughout day and night, I never grew weary of them. A spiritual friend who had formerly cultivated roots of goodness emerged from the earth, manifested the upper half of a human body, and said to me:

“Is this place so delightful that you are attached to it in this way? This is not true and pure conduct. Cast aside these perfumed fragrances so that you may attain a place of peace and bliss. These fragrances are like a mirage; they are illusory and conjured. A Buddha is now present in the world. Go and receive his teaching so that you may attain the pure fragrance that wafts everywhere.”

Hearing this, the spirit-king of Fragrant Sound rejoiced greatly and said:

– Excellent! Excellent! Spiritual friend, I wish you to lead me to behold the pure fragrance. Now, while the Buddha is still present in the world, let us go together and pay homage to him.

At that time, the earth deity emerged from the ground and said to the deity of Fragrant Sound:

– The unattached Tathagata

Is now dwelling in the south,

Within the womb, contemplating purity,

With followers beyond all reckoning.

They burn all kinds of fragrant incense,

And hang banners, streamers, and jeweled canopies;

Offerings numerous as the Ganges’ sands

Honor the profound fragrance of moral virtue.

It wafts throughout the ten directions;

Whoever smells that fragrance

Will certainly attain the unsurpassed Way.

You should lead your followers

And journey to Jambudvipa.

Single-mindedly take refuge in him,

And you shall behold the Buddha.

The Buddha’s virtues are boundless,

All accord with his original practices.

Upon merely hearing the meaning of three phrases,

You will realize the Way upon the spot.

The power of concentration, the wisdom of the three emptinesses,

The eighteen unique qualities,

And the beautiful marks of a great person—

You too shall later attain them.

A body the color of pure red gold,

Soft and untouched by dust;

The Dharma-body, concentration, and wisdom—

You shall fully perfect them all.

When you arrive there, do not be afraid;

Keep your mind upright and harbor no doubt.

Courageously advance without retreating,

Swiftly as a lion strides.

Discern and contemplate body and mind;

Understand that all are empty and attain mastery.

Eye-consciousness is originally without form;

Apart from its object, it creates no defilement.

Therefore, practice the three Dharma-gates

Of the present, the future, and the intervening time.

Attain the pure wisdom of the three superknowledges

And the unobstructed power of dharani.

Contemplate impermanence and the absence of pleasure;

Though unwholesome deeds were committed for kalpas,

The fire of wisdom can burn them away in an instant.

Gold, silver, jewels, and vaidurya,

Even Mount Sumeru made of the seven treasures,

Are consumed by the kalpa-ending fire,

But karmic retribution can never be lost.

The Tathagata teaches and transforms the world,

Compassionate toward beings and never self-serving.

Wherever he may be born,

He frees others from their bonds.

Like a person shooting into the sky,

Whose bow and arrow fall back to earth,

Make offerings to the fields of merit.

Making no distinctions is the way of sages and saints.

It is also like drinking poison,

Then seeking an antidote everywhere;

The poison's force rises ever more fiercely,

And before long one passes away.

There was once a good spiritual friend

Who bestowed an antidote.

Proceeding in turn without discrimination,

One encounters the Dharma that dispels poison.

Giving creates meritorious karma;

It makes no distinction between high and low.

Praised by the noble ones,

It is foremost and supremely honored.

Hearing the earth spirit emerge and speak in this way, the spirit king Fragrant Sound's mind opened and his understanding awakened. Bowing with his head to the ground, he said:

“You should become my teacher and instruct me in my darkness and ignorance. I am now deluded and unable to distinguish the true from the false. Please accept my repentance for the errors of my foolishness.”

At that time, the earth spirit immediately emerged, manifesting the golden-hued body of a Buddha adorned with the thirty-two marks and emitting a great radiance. By the power of spiritual mastery, he brought King Fragrant Sound to the contemplation within the womb. No one in the assembly understood what had occurred.

The Buddha told the assembly:

“Throughout innumerable asamkhyeya kalpas, I have at times become great and at times small, entering even the most subtle places without obstruction. At times I dwelt in the heavens, teaching and transforming beings throughout kalpas. At times I dwelt among humans and endured suffering in their stead. At times, among animals, hungry ghosts, and beings in the hells, I divided my body to teach and transform them. There is no place I have not entered.”

At that time, the spirit king Fragrant Sound and his 7.2 billion attendants all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed awakening and attained the stage of non-retrogression.

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Earth Spirit

At that time, in the assembly was a bodhisattva named Good Karma. He rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“I have a matter of doubt that I wish to ask the Tathagata about, but I dare not do so.”

The Buddha told Good Karma:

“Ask freely. I shall distinguish and explain it clearly for you.”

Good Karma said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, among the six great elements, which spirit is the most sublime: earth, water, fire, wind, space, or consciousness?”

The Buddha then used his spiritual powers to cause the earth spirit to emerge from beneath the earth and stand upon the earth; the water spirit to emerge from beneath the water and stand within the water; the fire spirit to emerge from within the fire and stand within the fire; the wind spirit to emerge from the wind and stand within the wind; the space spirit to emerge from space and stand within space; and the consciousness spirit to emerge from consciousness and stand within consciousness.

The Buddha told Good Karma:

“You should personally go and ask these six spirits.”

The bodhisattva Good Karma asked the Earth Spirit:

“Among the six great elements, are you the most sublime?”

The Earth Spirit replied:

“Among the six spirits, I am supreme. Why is this? Because I give rise to the myriad things—mountains, rivers, stones, walls, trees, grasses, flowers, fruits, and all else depend upon me for their support. All sentient beings possessing form also depend upon me for their existence. Therefore, I am the most supreme.”

The bodhisattva Good Karma asked the Water Spirit:

“Among the six spirits, are you the most sublime?”

The Water Spirit replied:

“Among the six spirits, I am the most sublime. Why is this? If there were no water, the earth would become parched and receive no moisture, while trees, grasses, flowers, and fruits would all wither. Sentient beings possessing form would die of thirst. Therefore, I am supreme.”

The bodhisattva Good Karma then asked the Fire Spirit:

“Among the six spirits, are you supreme?”

The Fire Spirit replied:

“Among the six spirits, I am supreme. Why is this? If there were no fire, how could the nourishing substances by which the myriad things grow ever ripen? When frost, hail, freezing cold, lightning, and the like arise, all sentient beings possessing form would freeze to death. Therefore, I am supreme.”

The bodhisattva Good Karma then asked the Wind Spirit:

“Among the six spirits, are you the most sublime?”

The Wind Spirit replied:

“Among the six spirits, I am supreme. Why is this? If there were no wind, trunks, roots, shoots, trees, flowers, fruits, and the like could never grow. All sentient beings possessing form depend upon my wind to come and go and to move. Therefore, I am the most sublime.”

The bodhisattva then asked the Space Spirit:

“Among the six spirits, are you the most subtle and sublime?”

The Space Spirit replied:

“Among the six spirits, I am the most subtle and sublime. Why is this? Mountains, rivers, walls, stones, trees, flowers, fruits, and all sentient beings possessing form that come and go are all contained within me, so that everything may exist in harmony and pass freely without obstruction. Therefore, I am supreme.”

The bodhisattva Good Karma asked the Consciousness Spirit:

“Among the six spirits, are you supreme?”

The Consciousness Spirit replied:

“Among the six spirits, I am the most sublime. Why is this? The preceding five spirits are my servants, and I am their king. Whether coming or going, whether beautiful or ugly, I know what should be avoided and therefore avoid it; I know where one should go and therefore go there. They are all blind; I alone possess clear sight. Therefore, I am the most sublime.”

Then the Earth Spirit said to the bodhisattva Good Karma:

“This is not correct. Why is this? Because I am constantly deceived by the consciousness spirit, who does not point out the direct path. When I wish to become firm, it instead makes me soft. When I need to be soft, it instead makes me rigid. When I wish to go south, it leads me north. Among all bandits, none equals the Consciousness Spirit. It calls itself king, but this cannot be so.”

The Water Spirit said to the bodhisattva Good Karma:

“What the Consciousness Spirit has said is entirely incorrect. Why is this? Water has the power to moisten and cause the myriad things to grow. My nature should be cold, yet it gives me heat. Fire burns and melts the frost and ice until the cold nature is no more; this is due to the deception of consciousness. Therefore, what consciousness has said is incorrect.”

The Fire Spirit said to the bodhisattva Good Karma:

“Nothing that consciousness has said is correct. Why is this? Fire can cause things to ripen, provide light, and enable trees, flowers, and fruits to grow in accordance with the seasons. If there were no fire, upon what would consciousness depend? Therefore, what consciousness has said is incorrect.”

The Wind Spirit said to the bodhisattva Good Karma:

“What consciousness has said is incorrect. Why is this? I enable the myriad things to grow, come and go, and move, yet consciousness obstructs me and prevents me from moving. Therefore, what consciousness has said is incorrect.”

The Space Spirit said to the bodhisattva Good Karma:

“What consciousness has said is incorrect. Why is this? There is nothing that my Dharma of space does not contain. I contain the myriad kinds of beings and things, allowing them to come and go freely and pass without obstruction. Everything exists within my space. If my space did not exist, upon what would consciousness depend? Therefore, what consciousness has said is incorrect.”

At that time, the World-Honored One asked the bodhisattva Good Karma:

“Do the matters discussed by these six great elements possess the meaning of phrases or not? Do they possess the meaning of flavor or not? Do they possess the meaning of words or not?”

The bodhisattva Good Karma replied:

“World-Honored One, the natures of the five great elements must all be equal. Why is this? If the earth dhatu is abundant but the water dhatu is deficient, nothing can be accomplished. If the water dhatu is abundant but the fire dhatu is deficient, nothing can be accomplished. If the fire dhatu is abundant but the wind dhatu is deficient, nothing can be accomplished. If the wind dhatu is abundant but the space dhatu is deficient, nothing can be accomplished. If the space dhatu is abundant but the consciousness dhatu is deficient, nothing can be accomplished. If the five consciousnesses are equal but consciousness is unable to distinguish among them, nothing can be accomplished.”

Then the bodhisattva Good Karma spoke this verse:

“The Dharma of the consciousness spirit has no form;

It takes the five great elements as its home.

It distinguishes wholesome and unwholesome karma,

Coming and going, truth and falsehood, each distinct.

Consciousness points out the wholesome path

And proceeds upon the peaceful and secure way.

Consciousness is the sixth king;

The other great elements cannot equal it.”

The Buddha told Good Karma:

“All that you have asked about is due to the spiritual power of the Tathagata.”

At that time, within the assembly, there were seventeen billion sentient beings who understood the profound Dharma, and all of them aroused the resolve for the unsurpassed, right, and true path.

Chapter 33: Human Beings

At that time, in the assembly was a bodhisattva named Dharma Seal. Having heard the Tathagata say that the six great classes of sentient beings receive bodies composed of the five skandhas, and that, when inward and outward phenomena are discerned and clearly understood, all are empty and utterly without true existence, he became doubtful in his heart, thinking that consciousness gives rise to confused perceptions and is not the true Dharma. Who is a human being? What is meant by a human being? From where are human beings born?

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Dharma Seal:

“Excellent! Excellent! Everything you ask is prompted and sustained by the awesome spiritual power of the Buddhas. Why is this? The countless asamkhyeyas of Buddhas of the past, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, and the countless Buddhas of the future, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, have all distinguished the origins of human beings, whose designations, names, and family names are inconceivable. Those of the Two Vehicles, arhats, and pratyekabuddhas could never calculate them. Now listen clearly and reflect most carefully. I shall explain this distinctly for you.

“To say that there is a seed of sentient beings in Jambudvipa within the Saha world is incorrect. Why is this? Because they do not possess the true nature and are not human beings.

“Those of the eastern continent, Purvavideha, are likewise not human beings.

“Those of the northern continent, Uttarakuru, are likewise not human beings.

“Those of the western continent, Aparagodaniya, are likewise not human beings.

“Except for those in the land of the Buddha Infinite Life and the land of the Buddha Akshobhya, except for those in the Land of Adornment and the land of the Buddha Empty Space, and except for the bodhisattvas in My assembly today, all the rest are not human beings.

“Why is this? Because from the distant past until the attainment of Buddhahood, they did not commit evil from the very beginning. These are called human beings.

“One who cultivates right speech, in contrast to one who does not cultivate it, is called a human being.

“One who receives the Dharma of the Three Refuges, in contrast to one who does not receive it, is called a human being.

“One who upholds the five precepts, in contrast to one who does not uphold them, is called a human being.

“One who practices the ten wholesome deeds, in contrast to one who does not practice them, is called a human being.

“One who is progressing toward stream-entry, in contrast to one who is not progressing toward it, is called a human being.

“One who has attained stream-entry, in contrast to one who has not attained it, is called a human being.

“One who is progressing toward once-returning, in contrast to one who is not progressing toward it, is called a human being.

“One who has attained once-returning, in contrast to one who has not attained it, is called a human being.

“One who is progressing toward non-returning, in contrast to one who is not progressing toward it, is called a human being.

“One who has attained non-returning, in contrast to one who has not attained it, is called a human being.

“One who is progressing toward arhatship, in contrast to one who is not progressing toward it, is called a human being.

“One who has attained arhatship, in contrast to one who has not attained it, is called a human being.

“One who is progressing toward pratyekabuddhahood, in contrast to one who is not progressing toward it, is called a human being.

“One who has attained pratyekabuddhahood, in contrast to one who has not attained it, is called a human being.

“One who is progressing toward the path of Buddhahood, in contrast to one who is not progressing toward it, is called a human being.

“One who has attained the path of Buddhahood, in contrast to one who has not attained it, is called a human being.

“Therefore, the Tathagata, Honored among Humans, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Those to Be Tamed, Teacher of Devas and Humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One, is called a human being.”

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Dharma Seal:

“Listen carefully. The Buddhas of the past, in relation to the future and the present, are called human beings.

“The present, in relation to the future, is called a human being.

“The future, in relation to the past and the present, is called a human being.

“Among the phenomena of the three times, the present is foremost in relation to the past and the future. Why is this? Because in the present, the Tathagata can practice the Dharma of the past and the future. Why is this? Because the past has passed, the future has not yet arrived, while the phenomena of the present arise naturally. The past cannot extinguish the present and the future. The future cannot extinguish the past and the present.”

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

“The Perfectly Awakened Ones of the past

Taught and delivered sentient beings,

Distinguishing the origins of humanity—

The sublime among the high, middle, and low.

The Buddhas of the present are supreme,

Understanding the past and knowing the future;

They extinguish the fetters of before and after

And shine brightly like the sun.

Those sentient beings who practice austerities,

Whether two-footed or four-footed,

Expound and hear the ambrosial Dharma,

Fully eliminating all perceptions.

The devas practice the Ten Wholesome Deeds,

From one and two to twenty-two;

Those above in heaven, unlike those below,

Create differing kinds of merit.

The Tathagata is endowed with all the marks,

Practicing goodness without stain;

He accumulates virtue like radiant light,

His conduct pure and undefiled.

If anyone gives rise to slander,

Saying that the Buddha’s path is not real,

Upon death, that person falls into Avici Hell,

And the Buddhas cannot save them.

Their breath is foul, putrid, and impure;

Their body is scorched by afflictions;

Evil thoughts follow and flare up—

All arise from the offense of slander.

Those who practice goodness and cultivate merit

Have their consciousness reach a wholesome realm,

Like a person entering a pool to bathe,

Becoming clean and free of every stain.

Arhats and pratyekabuddhas

Cut off cessation and are born no more;

They no longer conceive of a self or body

And leave far behind the sufferings of the five destinies.

The Dharma practices cultivated by Buddhas of old

Were confirmed by all the Buddhas

And honored by everyone;

Thus they are called the Honored Ones among the Honored.”

After speaking these verses, the Blessed One said to Bodhisattva Dharma Seal:

“This is what is called a human being.”

Then Bodhisattva Dharma Seal immediately rose, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“Excellent, Blessed One! You have explained this meaning exceedingly well. In relation to the Tathagata, we in this assembly are not human beings. How, then, may we manifest as human beings?”

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Dharma Seal:

“To understand that all dharmas are empty, that there is nothing possessed, neither this nor that, and to perceive neither this nor that—this is called a human being.

“To contemplate the Dharma-nature as having no past, present, or future, and to understand that the Dharma-nature is empty, quiescent, and nondual—this is called a human being.

“Regarding the four fruits of the path, some attain them and some do not, yet to perceive neither one nor two—this is called a human being.

“Regarding the characteristics of all dharmas, to perceive neither adornment nor the existence of adornment, and to understand clearly that all are empty and quiescent, neither one nor two—this is called a human being.

“To purify a Buddha-land and completely eliminate desire, anger, and delusion, while perceiving neither purity nor impurity, these two being alike in their nature of empty space—this is called a human being.

“To distinguish the nature of the thirty-seven factors of the path, whether accomplished or unaccomplished, while perceiving neither the existence nor the nonexistence of a person in the mundane realm—this is called a human being.

“To arouse the vast resolve, not for oneself alone, but to bring peace and security to sentient beings; to be fearless wherever one may be; and to perceive neither abiding nor non-abiding, these two being equal—this is called a human being.

“To discern the mind without becoming attached or defiled, keeping the mind like empty space, unmoved; and to perceive neither concentration nor the absence of concentration—this is called a human being.

“To guide sentient beings who hold wrong views and point out the wholesome path to them, cleansing the impurities of their minds with the Noble Eightfold Path; and to perceive neither what is right nor what is not right—this is called a human being.

“Among the fourfold assembly of bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, and upasikas, to possess a firm resolve for the path without becoming attached, and to perceive neither the violation nor the non-violation of moral discipline—this is called a human being.

“In this way, within the Dharma of the Tathagata, the Dharma Seal increasingly benefits sentient beings. In relation to the Buddha, one may again cultivate all merit and virtue, not letting one’s life pass vainly and without benefit.”

At that time, within the assembly, seven billion sentient beings all aroused the resolve for the unsurpassed, right, and true path and cultivated the state of non-retrogression among human beings.

Chapter 34: Practice

At that time, in the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Fashioning Conduct. He rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“Well said, World-Honored One! What you have taught concerning human beings is most excellent. It is neither before nor after, neither on either side nor in the interval between. How, then, can the karmic results of conduct be known?

“The body of the past is not the body of the present.

“The body of the future is not the body of the past.

“The body of the present is neither the body of the past nor the body of the future.

“Some act inwardly but receive the result outwardly.

“Some act outwardly but receive the result inwardly.

“The body of an ordinary being acts, while the body of a stream-enterer receives the result.

“The body of a stream-enterer acts, while the body of a once-returner receives the result.

“The body of a once-returner acts, while the body of a non-returner receives the result.

“The body of a non-returner acts, while the body of an arhat receives the result.

“Some sentient beings attain the samadhi of loving-kindness but do not possess compassion, sympathetic joy, or equanimity.

“Some sentient beings attain compassion but do not possess loving-kindness, sympathetic joy, or equanimity.

“Some sentient beings attain sympathetic joy but do not possess loving-kindness, compassion, or equanimity.

“Some sentient beings attain equanimity but do not possess loving-kindness, compassion, or sympathetic joy.

“Some sentient beings, from the stage of ordinary beings, do not proceed toward the Stage of Faith or the Stage of Dharma, yet attain stream-entry.

“Some sentient beings do not proceed toward the Stage of Faith, the Stage of Dharma, or stream-entry, yet attain once-returning.

“Some sentient beings do not proceed toward the Stage of Faith, the Stage of Dharma, stream-entry, or once-returning, yet attain non-returning.

“Some sentient beings do not proceed toward the Stage of Faith, the Stage of Dharma, stream-entry, once-returning, or non-returning, yet attain arhatship.

“Some sentient beings do not proceed toward the Stage of Faith, the Stage of Dharma, stream-entry, once-returning, non-returning, or arhatship, yet attain the arhatship of ‘this arhat and that arhat.’

“Some sentient beings proceed toward pratyekabuddhahood but fall back again to the stage of ordinary beings.

“Some sentient beings proceed toward arhatship but fall back again to the stage of ordinary beings.

“Some sentient beings proceed toward non-returning but fall back again to the stage of ordinary beings.

“Some sentient beings proceed toward once-returning but fall back again to the stage of ordinary beings.

“Some sentient beings proceed toward stream-entry but fall back again to the stage of ordinary beings.

“Some sentient beings fall back from the Stage of Dharma to the stage of ordinary beings.

“Some sentient beings fall back from the Stage of Faith to the stage of ordinary beings.

“All these sentient beings harbor doubts concerning the Tathagata. I beseech the World-Honored One to distinguish and explain these matters clearly, so that the assemblies may suddenly attain great awakening.”

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the bodhisattva Fashioning Conduct:

“Excellent! Excellent! All the matters about which you ask concern the future, the past, and the present; they also concern the karmic results of the conduct of all Buddhas. I shall now distinguish and explain them clearly. Listen attentively and reflect upon them well.

“What do you think, Bodhisattva Fashioning Conduct? Do you wish the Tathagata to speak of the karmic results of conduct throughout the immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas of the past, or do you wish the Tathagata to speak of the karmic results of conduct throughout the immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas of the future? Or do you wish the Tathagata to speak of the karmic results of conduct throughout the immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas of the present?”

The bodhisattva Fashioning Conduct said to the Buddha:

“World-Honored One, please set aside for the time being the karmic results of conduct belonging to the past and future. I wish to hear of the present karmic results of conduct borne by the body of the Tathagata.”

The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Fashioning Conduct:

“The karmic results of conduct from the immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas of the past are also present now.

“The karmic results of conduct throughout the immeasurable asamkhyeya kalpas of the future are also present now.

“The conduct performed in the present is also the cause and condition for receiving karmic results in the past and future.

“I shall now explain this matter to you.

“In former times, I cultivated innumerable ascetic practices, cultivating both pure and impure conduct. I cultivated the conduct of heavenly beings and the conduct of humans. When I first sought the Buddha Way, all my outflows had been exhausted, and I possessed spiritual powers and transformations; then suddenly I attained great awakening. The three realms are all suffering; I alone am joyful. For six years I cultivated ascetic practices on the bank of the Nairanjana River, eating one sesame seed and one grain of rice each day. This occurred because, long ago, I committed four verbal offenses against a pratyekabuddha and cut off the giving of alms; therefore, I now received this karmic result.

“After I had attained Buddhahood, five hundred youths spread rumors, slandered and reviled me, and went to crossroads and alleyways proclaiming, ‘The Buddha’s Way is not true.’ At that time, some of the people in the land believed, while others did not. Those who believed belonged to the Stage of Faith and the Stage of Dharma. Those who did not believe were ordinary followers of non-Buddhist paths. The strength of these people’s faculties had already matured, and they were no longer obstructed.

“When a Buddha appears in the world, his radiance shines everywhere. The hells cease, hungry ghosts are satiated, and animals no longer bear burdens or haul heavy loads. For example, Devadatta hurled a rock at me, causing one of the Buddha’s toes to bleed. At that time, I evaded it and went eastward to Purvavideha; northward to Uttarakuru; and westward to Aparagodaniya. I then withdrew from the Trayastrimsa Heaven and ascended to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Yet that rock continued to follow me. I then evaded it and returned to my former place, where the rock injured me.

“I was in the kingdom of Magadha, walking in meditation in the secluded Citramba Grove. At that time, a householder named Sirigupta invited me to receive offerings. I accepted his invitation and brought Ananda with me.

“The householder’s residence had seven successive gates, and each gate was guarded. According to the constant practice of all Buddhas of the past, future, and present, an invitation is accepted in silence and not by any other manner of assent. The practice of my monastic disciples is likewise. When I reached the gate, I heard the householder Sirigupta making music and amusing himself inside. He completely forgot that I had arrived, and I remained standing outside for a day and a night.

“The Buddha said to Ananda:

“‘Go and seek alms. I shall remain standing here.’

“At that time, a horse trainer passed by the place where the Buddha stood, and the Buddha asked him for food. The horse trainer said:

“‘I have no food. I have only cooked barley, which I shall bring to you.’

“The horse trainer then took the cooked barley and offered it to the Buddha, and the Buddha appeared to partake of it. Seeing this, the horse trainer believed that the Buddha had eaten it.

“A deva named Jinglian carried the food away, while everyone believed that the Buddha had eaten it. In truth, the Buddha did not eat it. It was only to bring that man to liberation that the Buddha manifested the act of eating. Thus, he remained standing at the gate for ninety days.

“Ananda likewise went seeking alms for ninety days.

“Through his awesome spiritual power, the Tathagata prevented the king and his ministers from knowing that the Buddha was standing there. Why? Because he feared that they would give rise to arrogance and slander. Had the Buddha not employed his awesome spiritual power, how could others have failed to see him?

“At that time, the householder Sirigupta had some business and went outside the city for an excursion. Seeing the Buddha standing outside the gate, he asked:

“‘When did you arrive here?’

“The Buddha said to the householder:

“‘You previously invited me, and so I came. You remained inside, enjoying your amusements. I have now been here for ninety days. I intended to return to the Citramba Grove, but the horse trainer offered me cooked grain meant for horses.’

“The householder Sirigupta was deeply ashamed. He cast his five limbs to the ground and said:

“‘I beseech the World-Honored One to extend his compassion, forgive me, and not be angry with me. Please permit me to repent of my offense.’

“The Buddha said to the householder:

“‘The cause and condition for this arose long ago; it is not something that began only now.’

“The householder then invited the Buddha into his residence and made offerings of the four requisites. The Buddha taught him the Dharma, enabling him to eliminate all defilements and attain the pure Dharma eye.

“The Buddha said:

“‘Long ago, at one time, I was dwelling in the city of Vaisali. Not long after I had attained Buddhahood, the six non-Buddhist teachers flourished. I had one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples. One thousand one hundred of them had attained arhatship and fully penetrated the six superknowledges.’

At that time there was a young woman named Cincamanavika, a disciple of the teacher Ajita Kesakambala, who had received her teacher’s doctrine. Every morning she went to the Buddha’s dwelling. Outwardly she appeared to be a faithful laywoman, but inwardly she followed the teachings of a false teacher. She went back and forth frequently, deliberately wishing everyone to see her, and stuffed grass into her belly, making it grow larger day by day. Afterward, she tied a wooden basin to her abdomen, making herself look like a woman about to give birth.

Then the false teacher asked her:

– Who is the father of this child in your womb?

She replied:

– Every day I have gone to the dwelling of the ascetic Gautama, and thus I became pregnant with this child.

The teacher immediately became angry and said:

– Does he dare deceive my disciple? This disciple is destined to be reborn in the Brahma heaven, yet he has violated and humiliated her to such a degree!

Having said this, the false teacher led his disciples and the young woman to the Buddha’s dwelling. While the Tathagata was teaching the Dharma to an innumerable assembly of the Sangha, the brahmin loudly declared:

– This ascetic Gautama has committed sexual misconduct. He has not truly attained the Way, yet he claims to have attained it. All his transformations are mere illusions and not the true Way.

Then, pointing at the young woman, the brahmin continued:

– Does everyone see? Because he was enamored of this young woman of ours, she became pregnant.

As soon as he had finished speaking, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, transformed himself into a golden mouse, crawled inside her clothing, and gnawed through the cord, causing the wooden basin to fall to the ground. Seeing this, everyone rebuked them:

– Do your followers dare come here to slander a noble saint? Leave this country at once!

Long ago, in the country of Kampilya, I sat in meditative concentration and practiced the Way beneath a tree for ninety days without ever moving from that place. At that time, there was one of the six teachers named Kimna Kimli, whose female disciple, Sunda Nandi, became jealous and wished to obstruct the Buddha’s merit while praising her own teacher’s path.

She said:

– I can cause everyone to cease coming to make offerings to the Buddha, so that my teacher’s fame will spread abroad.

She devised a scheme: every day she went to the Buddha’s dwelling. One day she killed herself and had her body buried behind the monastery garden. Afterward, the false teacher brought out the corpse and declared, “The Buddha killed her,” causing scandal and accusations to spread abroad until everyone knew of them.

Long ago, the left side of My body was afflicted by a toxic wind, so I sent for Jivaka to treat Me. Jivaka said:

– We need cow’s milk, elephant dung, the sarira of Savatthisirisa, and clarified butter, boiled together as medicine; it will cure You at once.

Long ago, while I was traveling and teaching in a certain village, a horse’s stake pierced My foot, passing through it from above and causing excruciating pain, so I sent for Jivaka to treat Me.

On another occasion, I suffered a headache as though two Mount Sumerus were crushing My head together, causing indescribable agony. Although I have now attained Buddhahood and extinguished all outflows, the roots of virtue accumulated through My former practices have never been lost.

For innumerable kalpas I cultivated purity, yet the consequences of karma are difficult to escape. Even the body of a Buddha is thus affected; how then could arhats and pratyekabuddhas escape the consequences of karma?

Then the Blessed One spoke these verses to Bodhisattva Practice-Creator:

– The four bases of spiritual power are supreme;

They sustain life for innumerable kalpas.

Though heaven and earth may all decay,

And Sumeru be reduced to ash,

Karma follows closely beside the body;

There is nowhere one can escape it.

I attained the highest Perfect Awakening;

Throughout the three realms none equals Me.

Yet I had to undergo nine retributions,

Linked together by former karma.

Though I possess the power of samadhi,

Which even vajra cannot obstruct,

I cannot evade karmic retribution

By casting it aside and not undergoing it.

In this life I bring it to an end,

And no distinctions remain.

Forever departing from the path of birth and death,

I shall never create such karma again.

Those who excessively crave the five desires,

Heedless and lacking vigilance,

In this life and in lives to come

Constantly fall into realms of attachment to existence.

Nirvana is free from attachment,

Yet I manifest conditioned dharmas.

If I did not manifest and teach,

Sentient beings would be difficult to save.

The Eightfold Path is unconditioned,

The path traveled by the noble ones.

Far removed from every fetter,

It contains no dharma of arising or cessation.

The Way is the contemplation of impermanence

And reflection upon the impurity of dharmas.

With one-pointed, unwavering mind,

One perfects all the excellent marks.

Arhats and pratyekabuddhas—

How could their repayment be caused by Me?

Pursued by their own karma,

Where could they go to escape it?

Sariputra, foremost in wisdom,

Always practiced the Buddha’s meritorious qualities;

Yet afflicted by illness, he had to enter cessation—

This provides unmistakable proof.

Maudgalyayana possessed spiritual powers;

With each step he could cross Mount Sumeru.

Yet brahmins beat him with clubs,

Crushing his bones like mustard seeds.

The arhat Vakula

Defeated the naga Nanda;

Yet when he was about to enter cessation,

His eyeballs fell out in great number.

The bhiksuni Golden Flower

Possessed spiritual virtue beyond measure.

She transformed herself into a wheel-turning monarch

And ruled the four continents.

Yet when she died and entered the unconditioned,

Swords sliced her entire body apart.

The pratyekabuddha named Radiant Light

Lived in an age without the Buddha-Dharma.

When, in accord with worldly conditions, his lifespan ended,

He entered a cauldron of oil and passed into cessation.

What I am now describing

Is the karmic retribution of those persons.

Were I to speak of past times

And the Buddha-practices of asamkhyeya kalpas,

From one kalpa to the next,

Their karmic retributions could never be fully recounted.

In the future another Buddha

Will sit upon this very seat.

He too will speak of karmic retribution,

No differently from what I teach today.

Bodhisattva-mahasattvas,

Strive diligently without indolence.

You should quickly free yourselves from karmic retribution

And not allow it to follow you.

Upon hearing the Buddha speak these verses, Bodhisattva Practice-Creator’s hair stood on end. He became disenchanted with birth and death and with transmigration through the five paths. All those present aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed awakening and abided on the Stage of Non-Retrogression.

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Abiding of the Dharma

At that time, seeing that the assembly was serene and pure, single-minded and free of disorder, the Blessed One extended His long, broad tongue until it touched both ears and emitted a great radiance that reached immeasurable asamkhyeyas of worlds. Seeing the light, the assembly rejoiced beyond measure and praised this unprecedented marvel.

Then the Blessed One withdrew the radiance and said to the great Bodhisattva Maitreya:

– For innumerable kalpas, My body, speech, and mind have been pure and stainless, and thus I have obtained the fruition of this radiance of true suchness. This is the result of never speaking falsely.

The Buddha again instructed the great Bodhisattva Maitreya:

– I now entrust this Bodhisattva Sutra of Transformation in the Womb to you. You should expound it and circulate it widely. If good men or good women read and recite this sutra and make offerings of incense and flowers, including powdered incense, ground incense, gauze and silk, banners and canopies, precious parasols, songs, and music, then the merit they gain will be exceedingly, exceedingly great.

If good men or good women cannot read and recite it thoroughly morning and evening, but call this sutra to mind for even a brief instant, the merit and blessings they gain will be incalculable. Why is this? Because this Sutra of the Womb is the father and mother of all Buddhas and foremost among all sutras. The Buddhas of the past, future, and present must rely upon the Sutra of the Mother’s Womb to teach and save sentient beings; its merit surpasses that of the physical body a hundredfold, a thousandfold, or hundreds of millions of times, and cannot be reckoned.

The Buddha again instructed the great Bodhisattva Maitreya:

– If good men or good women venerate and make offerings to this scripture and wish to behold the Buddhas of the ten directions, they should single-mindedly take refuge and entrust their lives to it, without any other thought; they will then immediately behold the Buddhas of the ten directions.

If good men or good women make this great vow: “I wish to bring the hells to an end and cause hungry ghosts and animals to be free from the afflictions of illness,” and then single-mindedly take refuge, entrust their lives, and read and recite this sutra, all those suffering beings will attain liberation.

The Buddha said to the great Bodhisattva Maitreya:

– The conditions for My presence here have now come to an end, and I can teach no longer. This sutra will be preserved for one thousand years; after two thousand or perhaps three thousand years, it will be divided into three parts:

One portion I entrust to Ananda, the disciple whom I leave behind to teach and guide others.

One portion I entrust to the naga king Nanda Upala.

As for the remaining portion, Maitreya and I shall expound it so that all sentient beings may hear and know it; it must not be allowed to fall into interruption.

Maitreya! When you become a Buddha, you should expound this sutra widely. Sentient beings throughout the worlds of the ten directions, even insects and human beings, shall all attain liberation through this sutra.

Maitreya! After you enter parinirvana, this sutra shall circulate throughout the world for twenty-one kalpas, and only afterward shall it disappear. If any good man or good woman reads and recites this sutra with an undistracted mind and makes the great vow: “May all sentient beings make the same vow as I, and may we all be born together in the Pure Land, attending upon, worshiping, and revering all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones,” that vow shall be fulfilled without obstruction.

The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Maitreya:

– You should receive and uphold my teaching. Be mindful of the Buddha’s kindness. Whoever wishes to repay the Buddha’s kindness must single-mindedly uphold and make offerings to the Sutra of Transformation in the Womb. The merit and blessings thereby gained can never be fully expressed. Why is this? Because this Sutra of Transformation in the Womb is the treasury of all Dharmas and bears the seal of verification of all Buddhas. Only the Tathagata, Worthy One, Perfectly Enlightened One, One Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Those to Be Tamed, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, the World-Honored One, can open and reveal this sealed treasury and manifest it to sentient beings.

Maitreya! You should know that everything I have taught, from beginning to end, is contained within this profound sutra of samadhi and dharani. If you were to forget one word or one sentence of it, the offense would still be slight. But if, regarding this sutra, you were to forget one sentence or one word, that offense would be extremely grave. Why is this? Because this sutra is the father and mother of all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones.

When the World-Honored One had finished speaking, the entire earth shook in six ways. The bodhisattvas in the assembly said to one another:

– It will not be long before Shakyamuni Buddha departs from the Dharma-nature. He will certainly manifest his physical form once again, just as before.

At that time, eighty-four kotis of sentient beings in the assembly all awakened the aspiration for unsurpassed enlightenment and attained the stage of non-retrogression. The bodhisattvas suddenly vanished, all departed from transformation in the womb, and made offerings before the golden coffin containing the relics of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Chapter 36: Returning to His Original Form

At that time, the World-Honored One withdrew his spiritual power, returned into the golden coffin, and remained still and silent. The devas burned incense and scattered flowers as offerings. Then Mahakasyapa led five hundred disciples from the kingdom of Magadha to the place of the Buddha. Hearing that the Buddha would enter cessation that day, they grieved and wept, unable to restrain themselves.

With his divine eye, the World-Honored One saw Kasyapa approaching and immediately extended both feet from the golden coffin. Seeing this, Kasyapa touched and caressed them, weeping beyond words.

Kasyapa spoke this verse:

– All conditioned things are impermanent;

Where there is birth, there is death.

Where there is no birth, there is no death;

This cessation is the highest bliss.

Those who received the Buddha’s teaching

Were brought to liberation everywhere.

I journeyed too far in practicing the Way;

My heart is stricken that I did not meet the Buddha.

The Dharma realm is entirely impermanent;

The physical body is likewise so.

Where there is no aging, illness, or death,

The unconditioned has no further birth.

Though one might live for a hundred Ganges-sands of years,

One would still have to enter cessation;

How much more so my teacher, the Honored One of Gods,

Amid this place filled with dust and defilement.

Then Kasyapa and the five hundred disciples circumambulated the golden coffin seven times and stood to one side.

At that time, Ananda held the northwestern corner of the golden coffin, while Nanda held the northeastern corner. The devas stood behind them, directly to the north. After proceeding forty-nine paces beyond the Twin Trees, they set down the golden coffin.

In accordance with the Dharma of the shramanas, ox-head sandalwood incense was placed upon the golden coffin. The Brahma heavenly kings and Shakra, Lord of the Devas, led the hosts of devas in scattering flowers from the sky as offerings. Then the Venerable Kasyapa took fire and ignited the sandalwood to perform the cremation.

Eight kings contended with one another over the division of the relics, each obtaining more or less according to his strength. They all brought their portions back to make offerings.

Chapter 37: Building the Stupas

At that time there were eight great kings: King Udayana, King Murdhaja, King Evil-Born, and King Ajatashatru;

And four great commanders of cavalry: the Supreme Commander, the Handsome Commander, the Flourishing Commander, and the Vajra Commander.

These eight great kings contended with one another for the relics. Each commanded his troops and arrayed them on one side.

The eight great kings said:

– Shariputra! I must obtain a separate share for myself.

A great minister named Upagata admonished them, saying to the great kings:

– Do not contend any longer over the Buddha’s relics. They should be divided so that all may make offerings to them together. Why raise armies and wage war against one another?

At that time, Shakra, Lord of the Devas, manifested in human form and said to the eight great kings:

– We devas must also receive a share. If all parties exert themselves in contention, some will be victorious and others defeated.

Then the naga king Anavatapta said to the eight great kings:

– We too must receive a share of the relics.

Upagata said:

– Enough! You should all stop and divide the relics together.

He then divided them into three portions: one portion for the devas, one portion for the naga king, and one portion for the eight kings. He then took a golden basin capable of holding more than one shi. This minister secretly smeared honey inside the basin and used it as a measure when dividing the relics.

After receiving their relics, the devas returned to the heavens and built a stupa of the seven treasures.

After receiving their relics, the nagas returned to the naga palace and likewise built a D-ba stupa of the seven treasures.

After receiving their relics, the eight kings returned to their respective kingdoms and also built stupas of the seven treasures.

The minister Upagata obtained three dou and one jarful of relics that had adhered to the golden basin. He too built a stupa of the seven treasures, and from the ashes and earth he constructed forty-nine stupas of the seven treasures.

At the cremation ground they also built a stupa of the seven treasures, forty-nine ren high. They made offerings of incense and flowers, hung silken streamers, banners, and jeweled canopies, and played music without interruption throughout both day and night.

Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, all the stupas of the seven treasures emitted light. At night they shone as though it were day, and by day they radiated light as though it were night. The celestial spirits who guarded the stupas all came to keep watch, and no evildoer could approach and violate them.

Chapter 38: Bringing Forth the Sutras

Seven days and nights after the Buddha entered cessation, Mahakasyapa said to the five hundred arhats:

– Strike the gandhi and assemble the community. Let all five hundred come from the Buddha-worlds throughout the ten directions. Whoever has attained arhatship and fully penetrated the six superknowledges must assemble here between the Twin Trees in this Jambudvipa. Shakyamuni Buddha has now reached the end of his lifespan and entered parinirvana. At the cremation ground, the stupa of the seven treasures has already been completed. We now gather this great assembly because we wish to expound the true nature of the Buddha’s Dharma body. Assemble quickly so that the subtle and wondrous teachings may be selected.

When the five hundred arhats heard Mahakasyapa’s instruction, they used their power of supernatural travel and came from lands throughout the ten directions, as swiftly as a strong man might extend his arm. Eight hundred forty million arhats assembled in the Saha world to hear and receive the true Dharma.

Seeing that the great assembly had gathered, Mahakasyapa said to Upali:

– Act as the disciplinarian and tell Ananda to leave.

Having received this instruction, Upali told Ananda to leave, saying:

– You were the Buddha’s attendant, yet you have now committed a grave fault against us. Are you aware of it yourself?

Ananda said to Mahakasyapa:

– Upon examining myself, I see no grave fault that I have committed against the Noble Sangha.

Kasyapa said to Ananda:

“What do you think, Ananda? In the sutra, the Buddha said that if any bodhisattva attains the Way, fully penetrates the six superknowledges, and cultivates the four bases of spiritual power extensively and repeatedly, he can remain alive for more than a kalpa. Why did you remain silent and not answer the Buddha?”

At that time, Aniruddha led Ananda outside, then suddenly called Ananda forward and reproached him concerning past events. Ananda’s mind became distressed, and he thought to himself: “The Buddha has not been in nirvana for long, yet already I am subjected to such humiliation.” He then contemplated the four foundations of mindfulness, the four bases of spiritual power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the Noble Eightfold Path.

All defilements were completely extinguished, and he suddenly attained great awakening. The holy assembly offered praise, and the devas sang. At that very moment, the earth shook in six ways; the devas scattered flowers and played celestial music.

Though the physical body had passed into nirvana, the Dharma body transcended the world, benefiting sentient beings, many of whom received its nourishing influence. Then they had Ananda ascend a high throne adorned with the seven treasures.

Kasyapa said to Ananda:

“Be careful that not a single word or utterance of the Dharma taught by the Buddha is omitted. Let the Bodhisattva Pitaka be collected in one place. Let the Sravaka Pitaka be collected in one place. Let the Vinaya Pitaka be collected in one place.”

At that time, Ananda said:

“Once, when the place where the Buddha dwelt was mentioned, Kasyapa and the entire holy assembly shed tears, weeping uncontrollably and lamenting: ‘Aging and death are like an illusion, like a magical transformation. Yesterday we saw the Buddha, yet today we hear that he has entered nirvana.’”

– First, the Scripture Treasury of Transformation in the Womb was brought forth.

– Second: the Treasury of the Intermediate State.

– Third: the Mahayana Vaipulya Treasury.

– Fourth: the Vinaya Treasury.

– Fifth: the Treasury of the Bodhisattvas’ Ten Abodes.

– Sixth: the Miscellaneous Treasury.

– Seventh: the Vajra Treasury.

– Eighth: the Buddha Treasury.

These are the scriptural teachings of Sakyamuni; their study has now been completed.

On the eighth day of the second month: he attained Buddhahood.

On the eighth day of the second month: he turned the Dharma wheel.

On the eighth day of the second month: he vanquished Mara’s armies.

On the eighth day of the second month: he entered parinirvana.

THE BODHISATTVA DWELLING IN THE WOMB

End of Fascicle 7